The Next Battle
by Gummy Worms3
Summary: Nicholas is worried about Lucy. She is convinced that she's going to fight in the next battle. He'll do anything to stop her, including lock her in a closet again. Rated T for language. Lucy POV.
1. The Way I Loved You

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU NICHOLAS DRAKE!" I yelled as I beat on the door.

"I'm sorry! I had to do it! I couldn't be worrying about you and trying to fight at the same time! If I hadn't known you were safe, I wouldn't have been able to leave," a voice from the other side of the door said.

"Let me out right this instant, you stupid, selfish, ignorant, little undead chicken!" I screamed at him.

"No way! You'll break my nose again!"

"So? You deserve it!"

"I think you're going to stay in there for awhile until you calm down…"

"NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER DRAKE!" I knew I might as well stop yelling. I could hear his footsteps walking away.

Damn it. Stupid, Nicky.

So for those of you who don't know, my name is Lucy. I am sixteen and my best friend, Solange Drake, is a vampire. She also has seven vampire brothers, one of which happens to be my boyfriend. Anyway, Solange and her brothers are in the Drake clan. The Drake clan is one of only three clans in which the vampires are born. When they are sixteen, they go through the bloodchange. It almost killed Solange because Lady Natasha (the self-appointed queen of the vampires) wouldn't let her drink the vampire blood she needed to survive. But, it's okay because Kieran (Solange's boyfriend) got the vial of vampire blood to Solange and gave her some of his blood, so she lived. Plus, Solange's mom, Helena, killed Natasha, which is a major plus! However, now Helena is the new queen and Liam (Solange's dad) is the new king. Montmarte, an evil vampire who has created his own species of vampires and has diluted himself into thinking he's dating Solange, is trying to kill Helena so Solange can become queen. So far, he hasn't had much luck. Anyway, Isabeau, a Hound, got her tribe to help us fight him, but he still isn't dead yet. And I'm super pissed at Nicholas because he locked me in a freaking closet when they went to fight! Oh, and Isabeau and Solange's brother Logan fell in love, even though they're from different clans, but I can't say anything since I, a human, am in love with Nicholas, a vampire.

I've been in here for almost three freaking hours! I'm starving, I'm tired, and I just want to get out of here. When Nicholas comes back down here to let me out, damn right I'm breaking his nose!

About ten minutes later, I heard footsteps, but it sounded like more than just one person. I heard someone putting the key into the lock and the sound of the lock clicking. As soon as I heard the lock, I opened the door as fast and as hard as I could, hitting someone in the face in the process.

"OW! Shit!" I heard someone yell.

"Oh! Sorry, Kieran! I thought you were Nicholas!"

I stepped out of the closet and saw Kieran holding his nose. It didn't look broken though, just swollen. I also saw Solange standing next to him, looking at him worriedly, making sure I didn't hurt him too bad. Damn it. They knew I would hurt anyone who let me out besides these two. Oh well. Nicholas can't hide from me forever!

Solange looked up at me and, seeing the unmasked fury on my face, winced and pointed up the stairs. I gave her my most sadistic smile and turned to run up the stairs.

"Try not to hurt him too bad," she called after me. I just laughed and kept running.

When I got upstairs to the sitting room/library, I saw six of the seven Drake brothers, Isabeau, Liam, Helena, Hyacinth, and Geoffrey all sitting on the various chairs and couches.

"Where is he?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest. All six Drake brothers grinned and pointed upstairs. Isabeau, Liam, and Geoffrey all winced in sympathy.

I turned and continued my journey upstairs. I figured he was in his room, so I headed directly there. As I opened his door, I heard Nicholas say, "Three, two, one. Right on time." He was sitting on his bed, in sweatpants and no shirt, I might add. He looked up at me and crossed his arms.

"Why the hell did you do that?"

"I-"

"DON'T INTTERUPT ME!" I screamed at him, "You know that I hate not being in the middle of the fight. I hate not knowing what's going on. I had no way of knowing what was happening! If you _ever_ do that again, I will personally murder you with my own bare hands!"

"I only did it to protect you," he said gently, "I couldn't be worrying about you. I had to know you were safe. I would've had to stay with you. I couldn't leave you if there was even the slightest chance that you would get hurt. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you because of me."

"I don't give a damn! What if something had happened to Solange? She could've died and I wouldn't have been able to do anything. What if something had happened to _you_? How do you think I would've felt?" I said helplessly and desperately.

Nicholas got off his bed and walked over to me. He gently put his hands on either side of my face, brushing away tears I hadn't even realized had fallen.

"Lucy. I would never let anything happen to Solange, and you know it. I would die before I let her get hurt."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of, you rash, reckless pig," I said as more tears fell. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close against his bare chest.

"I've got six older brothers and a mom who thinks she's a ninja; do you really think they'd let anything happen to me? Besides, I'm a prince; I've got hundreds of people that would do anything to protect me."

Nicholas leaned back just enough so that he could kiss me gently on the lips.

"Don't think you're off the hook," I grumbled.

He laughed and let go of me.

"C'mon, let's go downstairs," he said, grabbing my hand.

"So… next time we have a battle, I'm gonna be there. End of story," I said, attempting to be casual.

Nicholas stopped dead. "No way in hell are you going to be there."

I yanked my hand out of his, and put my hands on my hips. "Ex_cuse_ me?" I said in my most bitchy voice, "I am going and there's nothing you can do about it."

"You absolutely are not going."

I smiled at him innocently, "If you go, I go. You're not going without me, and you're _definitely _not going to lock me in a closet."

"There is no way in hell I am letting you go fight a battle. I hate to break it to you, but _you're not a vampire_! You can still get killed a hell of a lot easier than the rest of us. You may hate me for it, but I _will _lock you in a closet if I have to!" His voice seemed to get louder and an octave higher with every word.

I gave him the dirtiest look I could manage. "We'll see about that," I said before stomping angrily down the stairs.


	2. Crushed

I stormed down the stairs into the living room and flopped angrily onto the couch, sitting between Solange (who seemed to have come upstairs while I was yelling at Nicholas) and Logan. Kieran was sitting on the other side of Solange, holding her hand, and Isabeau was sitting on Logan's lap. For some reason, them being all couple-y made me even angrier. It totally sucked that neither Isabeau nor Solange had to worry about their boyfriends locking them in a closet. I'm pretty sure Isabeau would kick Logan's ass if he tried it, and Solange would just give Kieran puppy dog eyes and he would let her out.

"Can't you guys just not be all disgusting and romantic for like ten seconds?" I snapped at them.

Solange looked at me with a confused and slightly hurt look on her face. Kieran and Isabeau just looked at me like I'd gone crazy (not that there was anything new about that). Logan, however, looked at me sarcastically and said, "Who got your panties in a wad? You can't yell at us for being 'all disgusting and romantic' when you and Nicholas are sucking face every five minutes."

I was blushing and glaring at him when Nicholas walked into the room. He smiled slightly and, looking at me, said, "So… what'd I miss?"

I looked away, refusing to make eye contact. I was still livid from our earlier fight. I refused to talk to him until he agreed to let me fight, and, knowing how stubborn he could be, that could be awhile.

Nicholas sighed and moved to sit down on the opposite side of the room. All the vampires (and the single human besides me) in the room could sense the tension in the room. Hell, a blind and deaf toddler could've sensed the tension in the room. Solange, looking very confused, kept glancing between Nicholas and me like she was at a tennis match. Logan, who happened to be my second favorite of the Drake brothers (after Nicholas, of course…. Well, after Nicholas when Nicholas wasn't being a total ass), looked at me and raised one eyebrow, looking incredulous. I glanced away, embarrassed.

"Is there something you guys want to talk about?" asked Liam.

"If you can convince Nicholas to actually shut up for once and listen to what I want, then sure, let's talk! Oh, and it would also be great if you could stop getting him to be such an ass," I added.

"Nicholas? An ass? Never! I don't believe it!" Quinn declared sarcastically.

"Shut up, Quinn," growled Nicholas.

"Whatever you say, little bro," Quinn said with a grin.

Nicholas growled (like physically growled) and lunged at his brother. However, he never hit his target because Helena intercepted him, slamming her hands into his chest.

"Sit down right now! Quinn," she said, turning to him, "shut the hell up and leave your brother alone."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Nicholas, Lucy," Helena said, looking between the two of us, "I want you to work out whatever problem you two are having."

"Sorry; no can do. I'm not talking to him until his stubborn ass gives in."

"Luce…" Nicholas said, kind of desperately in my opinion.

I ignored him.

"You two need to just suck it up and kiss and make up. I mean, really! You guys are like perfect for each other! You're just so much alike that you can't even see it!" said Kieran.

"Stay out of it, stupid human. This has nothing to do with you so just shut the hell up," snarled Nicholas.

"Nicholas!" gasped Solange.

"Somebody clearly didn't take their nice pills today," said Quinn cheerfully.

"Quinn…." Liam said warningly.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Shut the hell up," he replied.

"Now," said Liam, turning so he could look at both Nicholas and me again, "We have too many things to worry about right now. I want you guys to just kiss and make up right now. Stop with the stupid, petty fights."

"Ok, usually I would agree with you about our fights being stupid, but this time it is actually legit and not petty, AT ALL," I said indignantly.

"HA!" Nicholas snorted, "and Hitler wasn't evil!"

"You did _not _just compare me to Hitler, did you?" I said, sounding _very _bitchy. What can I say? After being locked in a closet, fighting with her boyfriend, and then being reprimanded by his parents, a girl deserves to be a little bitchy.

"Well, maybe if you would stop _acting_ like Hitler, I wouldn't _compare_ you to Hitler."

"And _maybe _if you weren't being such an asshole right now I would've already forgiven you!"

He suddenly looked really sorry. "Luce, look, I'm really sorry."

"Too late for that, bub!"

"What are you guys fighting about anyway?" asked Solange.

"Well, as always, Nicholas is-"

"Being an asshole; we know," chorused six Drake brothers.

I blushed. "Well, yeah, but we were fighting because he locked me in a closet, but then we kind of made up-"

"Made up or made out?" asked Quinn.

I glared at him, but continued on with my explanation, "When I mentioned that the next time we have to fight, I was going end of story, he flipped out. So, now I'm not talking to him, touching him, looking at him until he changes his mind."

"Which is never going to happen because I don't want you to get killed!"

"Listen, you two," Liam began, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," he called, while all seven Drake brothers, Helena, Isabeau, and Kieran all tensed for a fight. Nicholas moved over to stand in front of me, and I sighed. He glanced at me, his face expressionless, before turning his attention back to the door.

I forced myself to stop staring at Nicholas's butt (no matter how nice of a butt it may be) and focused my attention on the door. I was surprised to see London walk in. No wonder everyone had tensed up. She had her fangs out, as usual, and was dressed like a runway model, in a super tight, short dress with black fishnets and ankle-length boots.

She flashed her fangs at me and said, "Hello, puny human. I'm quite hungry. You would make a good snack," she said, flashing her fangs at me again.

I paled, remembering the time she had shoved me up against the wall. I knew my heartbeat must have picked up because Solange glanced my way and Nicholas reached his hand back to grab mine, never taking his eyes off of London for a single second. No matter how mad at him I was, his hand was a welcome feeling in mine. He squeezed my hand and I squeezed his back.

Nicholas growled. It was singlehandedly the scariest noise I had ever heard him make.

"If you lay so much as a finger on her, I will rip you to pieces with my bare hands and watch you die a slow, painful death," Nicholas threatened. I had never seen him like this, and it absolutely terrified me. My breath started coming in short gasps and I thought I was going to faint. Nicholas himself didn't scare me (well, I mean I guess he did because who wouldn't be scared of a vampire when they were like that?) as much as the fact that Nicholas felt the need to be like that. I knew Nicholas would do anything to protect me, but I hoped I never had to see him like this again.

I was practically hyperventilating, no, I _was _hyperventilating. I felt like I was going to pass out. A torn look passed across Nicholas's face, but his want to comfort me won out over his hate for London. He looked at Logan and Logan nodded shortly before looking at Quinn. The two of the came to stand in front of Nicholas and I, their arms crossed over their chests body guard style.

Nicholas came over and made me sit down on the couch. He wrapped an afghan around my shoulders and then kneeled in front of me.

"Lucy," he said, placing his hands on each side of my face, "nothing is going to happen to you. I swear. You've got me, Logan, Quinn, and a ton of other Drakes who will do anything to protect you. Nothing is going to happen to you," he repeated forcefully.

All I could do was nod and try to slow my breathing and heartbeat. My heartbeat must be extra fast because Nicholas's jaw was clenched so tight I thought it might break. But his worry and protectiveness over me won over his bloodlust once again, as he sat next to me a wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close against his chest once again.

"Aww how sweet!" London said sarcastically.

Nicholas looked like he was going to go give her the slow death he had promised, but instead just tightened his arms around me.

"London, why are you here?" asked Liam.

"As much as I just love coming around here to hang out with you guys, I was actually sent by Veronique. She has requested a formal meeting with _her_," she said in a disgusted tone, pointing to Solange.

"No!" I yelled, pushing Nicholas away from me and standing up. "She can't go! Remember what happened last time?"

I started to hyperventilate again (man, I really needed to work on this problem) and Nicholas pulled me back onto the couch and wrapped his arms around me again. Not only was he trying to comfort me this time, but he was also trying to restrain me.

"Get off me, damn it! Get OFF, Nicky!"

"Not until you calm down!"

"Damn it! Nicky, you bastard!"

I shut up when I noticed Solange talking with London.

"Ok, I'll go. When do we leave?"

"Now."

"Ok, I'll be ready in a sec. Why on earth does she want to meet with me?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Translation: I have no idea, but I'm going to pretend like I already know.

Solange went upstairs and was back in a few minutes.

"Solange, I'm going with you, and so are all of your brothers except Logan and Nicholas. Nicholas needs to be here to restrain Lucy," said Helena.

With those final words, Helena and the boys all left. Nicholas kept his arms wrapped tightly around me as I struggled and cursed. As soon as the door shut behind Solange, he let go of me.

"Why the hell did you let her go?" I screamed at him, leaping off the couch. "You know what happened last time! This could be a trap again! I can't believe you did that, you moron! And you're not there to protect her like you told me you would be! She could be killed now because you aren't there!" Ok, so I really didn't think that Solange was going to get killed just because Nicholas wasn't there, but I was in the moment and was really scared.

A completely hurt and guilty expression came across Nicholas's face. It suddenly turned fierce, though.

"So you wanted me to leave you here all be yourself, completely unprotected, when Solange already has six other people to look after her? So you expect me to leave you alone, while Solange has a whole entourage of protectors?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes! I don't care what happens to me, I just want her to be safe. I would rather die than risk giving her any less protection."

"That may be so, but I can't lose either one of you, so I'm going to do whatever I think is best for both of you, and, at this particular moment, I happen to think that it is me and Logan and Isabeau staying here to protect you. So, for once, just shut the hell up and do as you're told."

I gave him one final glare, before I stomped up to my room.

Why does Nicholas always have to be right? It's so annoying! Plus, I would rather him be here because there is less chance of him getting hurt here! Oh well. I'm still mad at him. I'm still not going to talk to him until he changes his mind and either doesn't fight and stays here with me, or lets me go fight with him. I guarantee that next time there is no way he can keep me from that fight, so he might as well let me go willingly and save us both a lot of trouble.


End file.
